Trailer coupling



Nov. 17, 1936.v w. HoFLlcH TRAILER coUPLING Filed oct. 8, v1935 PatentedNev.. 17, 1936 M11-:NT OFFICE 'ra w R COUPLING William Hoich, Albany,Oreg. Application October 8, 1.935, Serial No. 44,113

l olaim.

v Another object of this invention is to provide means to hold thecoupling device in a released position and includingmanu'ally operablemeans to move the locking means into released position.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwill be understood from the following detailed description of thepresent preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherev in:-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section partly broken away and partly indetail of a coupling -device constructed according togan embodiment ofthis invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view partly in detail taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I0designates generally the frame of a tractor body and is preferably therear portion of the tractor body or vehicle. 4o In order4v to provide ameans whereby a trailer of suitable construction may be coupled to the xbody I0 in a manner to permit substantially universal movement ofthetrailer with respect to the vehicle I0, I have provided a housing forbody 5 generally designated as I I. This body II is adapted to beconnected to the draw bar or tongue of a trailer and may be connectedtherewith in any suitable manner (not shown). The body II atwits forwardend is provided with a socket I3 which opens through the under side ofthe body I I. A 'ball shaped member I2 having a threaded stem I4 isadapted to releasably engage in the socketv i3. The threaded stem I4 ofthe coupling member I2 is threaded on to the through the body II.

(Cl. 28o-33.15)

This invention relates to coupling devicesand body I 0 Vand is providedwith a limiting flange I5 which may be integral with the stern I4.

The coupling pin or member I2 is releasably locked in the socket I3 bymeans of an arcuate locking member I6 which is rockably mounted on a pinor shaft I1 extending transversely 'I'his member I6 has a configurationsubstantially coincident with the configuration of the pin I2 so thatwhen this locking member I6 is in locked'or engaged posi- 10 tion thearcuate face of the member I6 will snugly engage the ball shaped memberI2.

The locking member I6 at the rear portion is 4provided with a rearwardlyextending arm or lug I8 which is preferably integral with the mem- 15ber I6. This lug .I8 constitutes a locking lug to hold the-member I6 inlocked position or to hold the member I6 in a released position. Thelocking member I6 is held in either locked or released position by meansof a horizontally mov- 20 able bolt I9 which is slidable in a bore orhorizontal passage 20 provided in the body II. The locking bolt I 9 atits forward end is provided with an inclined lug engagingface 2| and isalso provided with a recess 22 in which a' stem 23 25 carried by areleasing lever 24 is'adapted to engage. The releasing lever 24 isloosely disposed in a slot 25 provided in the body I I and is mountedfor rocking movement on a pin 26 extending across the opening 25 in thebody I I. This lever 30 24 projects below the body II so that it can bereadily engaged in order to move-the locking bolt I9` rearwardly toreleased position.

An expanding spring 2l is disposed within the bore orI passage 20 andone end of the spring 2'I 35 .engages against the rear end of thelocking bolt Initially the locking member I6 is held in releasedposition as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 by rocking the lever 24forwardly so as to move the locking bolt I9 rearwardly against the ten-50 sion of the spring 21. In released position the lug or arm I8 engagesagainst the forward end of the locking bolt I9 as shown in dotted linesin Figure 1. 'I'he body II is moved to a position overlying thestationary pin I2 land then lowered 55 over this pin I2 which engageswithin the socket I3 as shown in Figure 1. Downward movement of the bodyII over the pin I 2 wil1.'cause the locking member I6 to be'rocked `onthe .pin or shaft I'I so that the4 locking arm I8 will be 10W- ered toengage beneath the inclined face 2l of the locking bolt I9 as shown infull lines in Figure 1. In this position the lower end of the releasedlever 24 is in its rearmost or rearwardly inclined position. The lockingbolt I9 will be held in locked position by expansion of the spring 21,.

It will, therefore, be apparent that the trailer secured to the body I'Iwill be detachably connected to th tractor body I0 and that the trailermay have substantially universal swinging movement with respect to thetractor body I0.

The trailer is released from the tractor member by rocking theprojecting end of the lever'24 forwardly so as to move the locking boltI9 rear' wardly and release the locking arm I8 vcarried by the memberI6. When the bolt I9 has been moved rearwardly under the action of thelever 24 the body II may then be moved vertically off of the pin I2.lVertical movement of the body II off of the pin I2 will rock the lockingmember I6 downwardly and raise the locking arm I8 to a position wherethe end of this arm I8 will contact with the forward end of the lockingbolt I9.

It will be apparent from the foregoing thatva relatively simple trailerhitch has been disclosed which will be automatically locked with acoupling pin iixed to a tractor member and which will be held againstrelease until the releasing lever associated with the device is .rockedto a released position.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications maybe made in the details of construction and design of the abovespecifically f in, a headed member engageable in the socket from below,a locking member pivotally mounted in the body, and a spring-pressedmember slidable longitudinally. of the body .and engageable with thelocking member to hold the locking member in either locked or releasedposition.

2. A coupling device as set forth comprising a body having a downwardlyopening socket therein, a headed Amember engageable in the socket frombelow, a pivoted locking member carried by the body and engageable withthe headed member to hold the headed member in locked position, a

Hocking arm xedly carried by the locking member within the body, and aspring pressed member slidable in the body and engageable withsaidlocking arm to hold the locking member in either locked or releasedposition.

. 3. A coupling device as set forth comprising a body having adownwardly opening socket therein, a headed member engageable inthesocket from below, a locking member pivotally carried by the bodyandngageable with the headed member to lock the.A headed member in thesock-` et,` a locking arm Xed to the locking'member, a ylocking boltslidable longitudinally of the body and engageable with the lockingmember to hold the locking member in either locked or released position,and' a lever pivotally carried by the body and engageable with thelocking bolt to move the bolt to released position.

4. A coupling vdevice as set forth comprising a body having a downwardlyopening socket therein, a headed member engageable in the socket frombelow and adapted to be secured to a tractor body, a locking memberpivotally mounted in the body and swingable into the socket to hold theheaded member in the socket, a locking arm fixed to the locking member,a locking bolt slidable in the body and engageable with the lockingWILLIAM Hormon.'

arm to'.hold the locking arm in either locked or

